Apparatus for delivering mail from cars.



No. 693,l67. Patented Feb. ll, I902.

B. L. SLAGLE &. E. F. PYWELL. APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING MAIL FROM CABS.

. (Application filed May 21, 1901. 1 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

No. 693,l67. Patented Feb. u, I902.

R. L. SLAGLE &. E. F. PYWELL. APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING MAIL FROM GARS.,

'lpplicatioh filed May 21, 1901. i (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,

m: NOT (m5 PEYERS co. microumcn. wAsnmumu, n. c.

Patented Feb. ll, I902. R. L. SLAGLE & E. FLPY'WELL. APPARATUS FORDELIVERING MAIL FROM CARS.

(Application filed May 21, 1901.1

3 sheets sheat 3.

(No Model.)

UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE."

ROBERT L. SLAGLE' AND EDYVIN F. PYl/VELL, OF l/VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE AUTOMATIC RAILWAY .MAIL POUCH COMPANY, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING MAIL FROM CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 693,167, dated February 11, 1902.

Application filed May 21, 1901. Serial No. 61,277. (No model.)

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT L. SLAGLE and EDWIN F. PYWELL, of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Delivering Mail from Cars; and

matically delivering mail bags or pouches from railway-trains While in motion.

It is well known that in all appliances connected with the railway-mail service simplicity of construction, durability, and positiveness in operation are essential requisites and that nothing failing to answer these requirements is regarded as feasible or practicable. This is especially true in the handling of mail-matter while a train is in motion, and while the service has for a long time employed mechanical means for receiving mail- 2 5 bags suspended alongthe sides of the tracks nothing has been adopted for the automatic delivery of the mail-pouches from a train in motion, notwithstanding the fact that various devices for this purpose have been devised.

It is the object of our invention to provide .an apparatus for delivering mail which Will be composed of a minimum number of parts; be simple and inexpensive in construction, positive in operation, and not liable to readily get out of order.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 4o shows in side elevation a portion of a car with our attachment. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof, showing also the suspended carrier. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in perspective of the receiver-carrier detached. Fig. i'shows in plan the arrangement of the carrier-track relative to the railway-track. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are details, the last-mentioned showing the connection between the two parts of the delivery-bar. Fig. 9 is a section through the rope-ball.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a two-part bar, the lower section of which is removably held upright in keeper-plates 2, adjacent to one side of the car-door These keeper-plates may be on either or both sides of the door to enable the bar to be positioned to suit all requirements. The two sections of the bar are hinged or pivotally connected, and a spring 4 serves to retain the upper longer section either vertically paralleling the side of a car or horizontally across the door. When in this latter position, the bar rests on a stop 5.

A mail-pouch to be delivered is hung on a bracket 6 and held by a retaining-spring '7, and to it is connected one end of a rope or chain 8, on the other end of which is a ball 9. In the latter is a recess conforming to the end of the bar upon which it is designed to fit when a pouch is to be delivered. The rope is held to the bar as against flying when the train is in motion bya keeper 10, having two spring-jaws 12. After the ball is placed on the end of the bar the latter is turned into its upright position, as shown in Fig. 1, the ball being then above the roof of the car.

.13 is a receiver for themail-pouch, shown in the form of a wheeled carrier designed to travel on an inclined track 14, divergently arranged relatively to the track 15 over which the cars travel. The carrieris equipped with depending horizontally-disposed jaws 16, forming a V, and to the inner face of one jaw is secured a plate-spring 17, the hooked end 18 of. which is near and practically in line with the vertex of the jaws.

The track 14 is preferably in the form of an inclined cable extending from the arm 19 of a post nearthe track to a second post 20, arranged some distance from the latter.

In practice the Wheeled carrier is normally at the lower end of its inclined track adjacent to arm 19, with its jaws facing the direction of approach of a train. It is obvious that this arrangement may be duplicated for a double track or on the opposite side of asingle track. The mail-pouch to be delivered from the train in motion is hung on bracket 6, and the bar 1 is extended into its upright position, with the rope-ball on its upper end. Thebar is thus in direct line with the-vertex of the jaws of the carrier, (see Fig. 2,) so that upon striking the latter the carrier will be forced'along its track, and as it travels upwardly and divergently from the railwaytrack the ball is caught between the jaws and the spring 17, where it remains while the bar 1 frees the carrier as the train proceeds. The removal of the ball from the bar is immediately followed by the Withdrawal of the pouch from bracket 6, and the carrier having reached the end of the movement given thereto by the engagement of the bar will return to its normal position with the pouch suspended by the rope from the ball held between the jaws.

The delivery of a mail-pouch in the manner stated is so quickly effected that it is almost impossible to detect the operation by the human eye. The carrier-track is so arranged that the carrier will travel with and divergently from the moving train so far as is necessary to effect the transfer of the ball from the bar to the carrier.

The advantages of our invention are apparcut to those skilled in the art. Of these the few parts employed is among the most important. It will be noted that in so far as concerns the mail-pouches themselves ourimprovement requires only the addition of a rope or chain having a ball on one end. It is obvious that the delivery-bar may be positioned on either side of the car-door and that when not in use the bar may be removed by raising its lower section from the keepers.

An apparatus constructed in accordance with our invention has all the advantages of simplicity, durability, and positiveness in operation.

We claim as our invention 1. The combination with a receiver mounted adjacent to a railway-track and movable with and divergently from a train on such track, said receiver having jaws facing the direction of approach of a train, of a mail-pouch, a rope or chain secured thereto, means attached to a car for holding such rope in line with the jaws of the receiver so that it will engage with the latter, and means on the rope for engaging the receiver when the rope and pouch have been removed from the car whereby the pouch will be held suspended from the receiver, as set forth.

2. The combination with a receiver m0unt ed adjacent to a railway-track and movable with and divergently from a train on such track, said receiver having jaws facing the direction of approach of a train, of a mail-pouch, a rope or chain secured thereto, a ball on such rope or chain, and means attached to a car for holding such ball in line with and above the jaws of the receiver so that the ball will be removed by the receiver from the holding rope'or chain, and a bar secured to the side of a car for supporting such ball in line with and above said jaws so that the latter will remove said ball from said bar in the passing of a train and hold the pouch suspended by the rope or chain, as set forth.

4. The combination with a receiver mounted adjacent to a railway-track, and movable on an inclined plane and with the train on such track, said receiverhaving jaws facing the direction of approach of a train, of a mailpouch, a rope or chain securedthereto, a ball on the free end of such rope, a support secured to the side of a car for holding such ball in line with the jaws of the receiver so that as the support engages the receiver and the latter moves with the car the ball will be withdrawn from the support and means on the receiver for retaining such ball with the mailpouch suspended by its rope, substantially as set forth.

5. Thecombination with a receiver mounted adjacent to a railway-track and movable with and divergently from a train on such track, said receiver having jaws facing the direction of approach of a train, of a mailpouch, a rope secured thereto, a ball on the outer end of said rope, a bar removably secured to a railway-car for holding such ball above and in line with said jaws so that as the receiver is engaged by said bar and travels with the car the ball will be withdrawn from the bar and the pouch will be suspended by its rope, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the wheeled receiver having horizontally-disposed jaws of V form, and yielding holding means near the vertex of said jaws, of a mail-pouch having a rope secured thereto, a ball on such rope, a bar secured to the side of the car designed to engage said yielding means and the vertex of the jaws the latter removing said ball from said bar as the latter withdraws from said jaws, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the wheeled receiver having horizontally-disposed jaws of V form, and a plate-spring within said jaws near the vertex thereof, of a mail-pouch, a rope secured thereto, a ball fast on the free end of such rope, a bar secured to one side of a car for holding such ball above the latter in line with and above the vertex of the jaws, said bar being designed to engage said spring so that as the bar clears .the latter the ball will be held thereby, and a holding-bracket for the mail-pouch secured to the car, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a car having 9. The combination with the car,the keeperplates, the bar composed of two parts pivotally united, and the spring-plate for holding said parts in their different positions, of the bracket for supporting a mail-pouch, the mail pouch, the rope secured thereto, the

ball on such rope designed to be supported by said bar, the keeper on said bar for engaging and loosely holding said rope, and the receiver with which said bar isdesigned to engage for effecting the removal of the ball therefrom and the pouch from its supportingbracket, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib ing witnesses.

ROBT. L. SLAGLE. EDWIN F. PYVELL.

Y Witnesses:

GRAFTON L. MOGILL, FRANK S. IVIAGUIRE.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 693,167

It hereby certified that the assignee in Letters Patent No. 693,167, granted February 11, 1902, upon the application of Robert L. Slagle and Edwin F. Pywell, of Washington, D. 0., for an improvement in Apparatus for Delivering Mail from Oars, should have been described and specified as The Automatic Railway Mail Pouch Delivery Company, instead of The Automatic Railway Mail Pouch Company; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of August A. D., 1902.

E. B. MOORE,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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